Who is Solomon Gedney from Narrative of Sojourner Truth and what is their importance?

Solomon Gedney was a slaveholder. He took Peter to the South, but Sojourner and the others were able to get him back before Gedney sold him. Gedney is described as a horrible, cruel man, who beat his slaves, as well as his wife. A short period of time after Peter's rescue, it was learned that Gedney beat his wife nearly to death before strangling her.